Various forms of segmented rotor friction discs and, in particular, aircraft disc brakes, wherein retaining means of one form or another for holding the arcuate segments in annular formation against centrifugal forces and adapted to permit a predetermined degree of thermal expansion without undue distortion of the annular disc have been built and used.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,519 to J. G. Martin and assigned to the assignee of the present application for an example of one such prior art friction disc. The present invention is an improvement over the disc shown and described in the above-mentioned patent in that machining costs are reduced, material waste is much less and a more compact structural arrangement is provided which, in turn, reduces envelope requirements. The present invention retains the advantages of the above-mentioned prior art friction disc commonly known as a "spider-type disc" which includes position retainment of the arcuate segments under the usual centrifugal and/or frictional forces imposed thereon, segmentation of the rotor disc to allow thermal expansion thereof without distortion, and separation of decoupling of the structural retaining elements from the rotor segments which segments act as a heat sink during frictional engagement of the rotor and stator discs.